I was having a conversation with someone on here saying I don't feel i could leave my children alone in the evenings to go out and meet for fun.
My eldest is 17 but I twins that are 11 boy and a girl.
I trust my son to take care of them, but as a mother I don't feel it is right to do this to have a bit of fun.
My Sons would be fine but my daughter doesn't like to be left.
I don't like to always ask friends and family live to far away.
This leaves us just daytimes to have fun which is restricting at times.
Would you leave your children?
What ages are they?
Do you think I should let go?
Or do you agree with me? We fit this in around the children
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What age would you leave your children alone?
I don't think you can go by what age they are but how secure and trusting they are. I've known 11 year olds who could be left in a glass room with no trouble and 19 year olds I wouldn't trust with a shopping list! :shock:
Go with your instincts hunni. No one knows your kids like you do but the day has to come when you DO have to leave them so why not have a practice run? Just go for a drink for a couple of hours, maybe a social meet and see what happens.
Good luck! :thumbup:
Go with your instincts hunni. No one knows your kids like you do but the day has to come when you DO have to leave them so why not have a practice run? Just go for a drink for a couple of hours, maybe a social meet and see what happens.
Good luck! :thumbup:
Sex God
Doesn't the law say something about leaving children under 12 alone? I'm not sure. 
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Sex God
i think its something that no one except the parents and child can decide on, both the parents and children have to happy to leave/be left,
Age is such a difficult thing 1 11 year old can seem/appear very grown up and onether can still seem very child like
If your not comfortable leaving them then you wont relax/enjoy etc My son is 9 and an only child so leaving him longer than 5 minutes just wouldnt work
Age is such a difficult thing 1 11 year old can seem/appear very grown up and onether can still seem very child like
If your not comfortable leaving them then you wont relax/enjoy etc My son is 9 and an only child so leaving him longer than 5 minutes just wouldnt work
Sex God
Quote by westerross
Doesn't the law say something about leaving children under 12 alone? I'm not sure.
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She isnt leaving them alone she would be leaving them with the 17 year old (unless ive read wrong)
Sex God
Quote by X_fanny_x
Doesn't the law say something about leaving children under 12 alone? I'm not sure.
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She isnt leaving them alone she would be leaving them with the 17 year old (unless ive read wrong)
I wasn't suggesting that anybody was leaving anybody alone. Just saying what I think the law says on the subject.
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I have let my son babysit for me since he was about 15, his little sis is 9 years younger and they have always been fine( now aged 18 and 9). If you are worried why not wait until the small ones are asleep then go out? What they don't know won't do them any harm will it? I also feel it is good for the older one to have some responsibility and trust put in him, plus he an have a friend round or his girlfriend and have some privacy. 17 is practically an adult. As long as you're at the end of the phone if needed I dont see anything wrong with it at all .
Quote by Theladyisaminx
I was having a conversation with someone on here saying I don't feel i could leave my children alone in the evenings to go out and meet for fun.
My eldest is 17 but I twins that are 11 boy and a girl.
I trust my son to take care of them, but as a mother I don't feel it is right to do this to have a bit of fun.
My Sons would be fine but my daughter doesn't like to be left.
I don't like to always ask friends and family live to far away.
This leaves us just daytimes to have fun which is restricting at times.
Would you leave your children?
What ages are they?
Do you think I should let go?
Or do you agree with me? We fit this in around the children
The word here minx is IF your 17 year old is responsible enough to look after the 11 year olds If the answer to that is yes, then I cannot see any problem with leaving them, but if you have any doubt about your 17 year olds abilities at all, then it would have to be a no.
We all need some time away from our kids at times and its not a case of letting go. Once a month or so going out without the kids is no big hardship to them. Let go a bit and enjoy.
Eldest- now 17 (18 nnext month), babysits for us whilst we go to camp for the weekend.
Our 15 year old (who isn't with us at the moment) couldn't be trusted at all. We had to install a safe in the bedroom, and the place was like Fort Knox.
Our 13 (nearly 14) year old could be left for a time quite happily- she's pretty sensible. We left her to keep an eye on our youngest while we were in a Yert in next doors garden!
I'm sure our youngest (nearly nine) will end up working for the HSE. From the age of about 5 she went round assesing situaltions- we'd drive past someones house & she'd give us a run down on any safety issues in the garden!
If she goes out to play with her friends, and I say be back at 7, she'll say "well, I'll come home at 6:55 so I can take my skates off"
:shock:
Each child is very much an individual, so you have to assess it as such. However, it might be good for your 11 year old to get used to being left for short periods.
Are you sure it's not guilt about why you'd be going out, rather than just the going out?
Our 15 year old (who isn't with us at the moment) couldn't be trusted at all. We had to install a safe in the bedroom, and the place was like Fort Knox.
Our 13 (nearly 14) year old could be left for a time quite happily- she's pretty sensible. We left her to keep an eye on our youngest while we were in a Yert in next doors garden!
I'm sure our youngest (nearly nine) will end up working for the HSE. From the age of about 5 she went round assesing situaltions- we'd drive past someones house & she'd give us a run down on any safety issues in the garden!
If she goes out to play with her friends, and I say be back at 7, she'll say "well, I'll come home at 6:55 so I can take my skates off"
:shock:
Each child is very much an individual, so you have to assess it as such. However, it might be good for your 11 year old to get used to being left for short periods.
Are you sure it's not guilt about why you'd be going out, rather than just the going out?
Quote by winchwench
Eldest- now 17 (18 nnext month), babysits for us whilst we go to camp for the weekend.
Our 15 year old (who isn't with us at the moment) couldn't be trusted at all. We had to install a safe in the bedroom, and the place was like Fort Knox.
Our 13 (nearly 14) year old could be left for a time quite happily- she's pretty sensible. We left her to keep an eye on our youngest while we were in a Yert in next doors garden!
I'm sure our youngest (nearly nine) will end up working for the HSE. From the age of about 5 she went round assesing situaltions- we'd drive past someones house & she'd give us a run down on any safety issues in the garden!
If she goes out to play with her friends, and I say be back at 7, she'll say "well, I'll come home at 6:55 so I can take my skates off"
:shock:
Each child is very much an individual, so you have to assess it as such. However, it might be good for your 11 year old to get used to being left for short periods.
Are you sure it's not guilt about why you'd be going out, rather than just the going out?
No not at all I am like this with ever situation!
18.
No seriously.
I started going out last year and leaving my daugher at the age of 15 but only if she had a pal with her or her step sister. It's only really been this year that I've left her completely on her own.
She can't be trusted tho, I'd found out she'd had people in the house against my wishes.
I think everyone knows their kids differently, it depends on their maturity, mine wasn't really that mature until this year.
No seriously.
I started going out last year and leaving my daugher at the age of 15 but only if she had a pal with her or her step sister. It's only really been this year that I've left her completely on her own.
She can't be trusted tho, I'd found out she'd had people in the house against my wishes.
I think everyone knows their kids differently, it depends on their maturity, mine wasn't really that mature until this year.
Here's some info about the subject
The bottom line is:
What is the Law Regarding Babysitters?
There is no law in England to prevent anyone of any age babysitting but it is advisable to use someone over 16 years old. A person under the age of 16 cannot be charged with neglect or ill-treatment of a child left in their care. Parents remain responsible and can be charged themselves if their child is harmed in any way.
In Scotland the minimum legal age for a babysitter is 16 years old - BUT even some 16 year olds may not be mature enough to be responsible for the care of young children.
Hope this helps.
:P
The bottom line is:
What is the Law Regarding Babysitters?
There is no law in England to prevent anyone of any age babysitting but it is advisable to use someone over 16 years old. A person under the age of 16 cannot be charged with neglect or ill-treatment of a child left in their care. Parents remain responsible and can be charged themselves if their child is harmed in any way.
In Scotland the minimum legal age for a babysitter is 16 years old - BUT even some 16 year olds may not be mature enough to be responsible for the care of young children.
Hope this helps.
:P
Sex God
It may be different with only-children. My son was left alone in the house for increasing lengths of time from the age of 7. 5 minutes to the shop etc at first. He is eminently sensible and being on his own limited the temptation to get up to stuff. When he was with friends the leaving alone started much later as the trouble kids can get into increases exponentially with the number of children. (The trouble squared rule LOL)
My sis never left her son alone, go to school on his own and always made sure she was home to greet him from school until he was 15. I thought that was a bit much but she's his mother so I can't judge really.
Leaving alone at home is, of course, totally different to letting them roam the neighbourhood alone.
My sis never left her son alone, go to school on his own and always made sure she was home to greet him from school until he was 15. I thought that was a bit much but she's his mother so I can't judge really.
Leaving alone at home is, of course, totally different to letting them roam the neighbourhood alone.
Sex God
Quote by Sassy-Seren
snip I don't think you can go by what age they are but how secure and trusting they are. I've known 11 year olds who could be left in a glass room with no trouble and 19 year olds I wouldn't trust with a shopping list! :shock: snip
Spot on for me....
Our 10 year old daughter is the type who could be left most of the day and trusted to make her own sarnies for lunch and load everything into the dishwasher afterwards...
Our 13 son I wouldnt trust as far as I could throw him :lol2:
Sex God
Quote by Jags
Here's some info about the subject
The bottom line is:
What is the Law Regarding Babysitters?
There is no law in England to prevent anyone of any age babysitting but it is advisable to use someone over 16 years old. A person under the age of 16 cannot be charged with neglect or ill-treatment of a child left in their care. Parents remain responsible and can be charged themselves if their child is harmed in any way.
In Scotland the minimum legal age for a babysitter is 16 years old - BUT even some 16 year olds may not be mature enough to be responsible for the care of young children.
Hope this helps.
:P
Actually......
...the legal position in Scotland is......
There is no specific minimum age for a babysitter (although 16 is often quoted). Parents or carers must adopt a common sense policy, with the babysitter being able to look after both himself / herself and the child.
Similarly, there are no legal guidelines regarding the age at which a child can be left at home alone. The rule of thumb is that the child should be able to look after himself / herself. Again, common sense should apply.
Having said that, under the Children and Young Person (Scotland) Act, 1937 it is an offence for anyone over the age of 16, who has responsibility for a child under that age to willfully assault, ill-treat, neglect, abandon or expose the child. This may include bullying, frightening or causing suffering or injury to the child's health.
Roughly translated, if you leave a babysitter under the age of 16 and something happens to the younger child then you, as the legal parent / guardian, are liable and not the siter.
